About Us

Mission Statement

Dowdales will develop a distinctive character by ensuring an entitlement for all its pupils to access opportunities in the Performing Arts.

Dowdales will work in concert with the Barrow Community Learning Partnership, of which it is an associate member, and with other partners in the local, national and international communities to share philosophy, innovative practice and resource.

Dowdales will become a vital part of Town, Borough and County strategic provision as a centre of excellence in the performing arts.

Dowdales will work with its community providing opportunities and experiences which will increase an appreciation of the Performing Arts and develop a skills base to enable people to be involved in a diversification of activity, leading to an enhanced quality of life and raised self esteem.

Aims - School

To raise achievement across the school and extend entitlement and raise standards for all in Dance, Drama, Music in Key Stages 3, 4 and post 16.

To extend the multi-cultural dimension of the whole curriculum through the Performing Arts. The school is situated in a virtually all white isolated community.

To develop the personal, social and employability skills of pupils through their experience in the Performing Arts.

Aims - Community, including links with other schools

To be a strategic resource in the Performing Arts for the Barrow Community Learning Partnership and the Cumbria Education Authority.

To raise standards in the Performing Arts across the family of schools through the sharing of expertise and resources and through collaborative activity in partnership with those schools

To use the Performing Arts to involve the community of Dalton and its surrounding locality in activities which stimulate artistic awareness and provide opportunities for lifelong personal, social and vocational development.